Once Upon A Time On The Rails: Chapter 1.
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The year was 1981 and it was another day in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. The sky was partly cloudy, even overcast on occasion. The breeze rustled the branches of the many pines and trees blanketing the mountain slopes. A small field mouse scurried along the ground, pushing its way passed the blades of grass and maneuvering through fallen twigs and branches along the ground. The mouse made its way along until it reach an isolated stretch of railroad track. It climbed over the ballast, onto the one of the ties, and then climbed atop the rail. There the small mouse paused and began to groom itself. Its small paws running over its fur and large ears. Suddenly the rail began to sing and then began to vibrate. The mouse paused briefly and then jumped off the top of the rail. A few moments later a train thundered up the line.
A thick mix of gray and black smoke erupted from the locomotive’s diamond stack as it chugged along at a decent clip. It was a 4-4-0 with large drive wheels and elegantly proportioned. It looked more like a passenger engine with it’s stretched, sleek design; despite the diamond stack, box headlight, and fluted domes. But it was a unique design. The cab was toward the read and was by definition a “deckless” cab, but it did sit atop the boiler/firebox. The firebox sloped down towards the backhead not dissimilar to that of a Winans Camel, but this section was enclosed by the cab.
The cab was made of walnut wood and the boiler with a Russian Iron jacket. Brass boiler bands kept the jacket in place. Despite the fancy brass accents the locomotive wasn’t overly ornate. The wheels were black with white tires, the side rods kept clean and properly lubricated. Other line work and livery was kept to a minimum. Regardless the locomotive was fitting for a crack express or private train. The lettering on the tender spelled out as Pueblo, San Juan, & Pacific.
At the throttle of this elegant steamer was a female wolf, though it was hard to tell her gender upon first glance. She wore a typical engineer’s had, though turned backwards atop her head. She clothed herself in canvas work pants and a heavy denim jacket. Her light grey fur had a white undertone and highlights. Around her neck was a red bandanna as well as a pair of goggles. Her gloved hand rested on the throttle bar while the other on the reverser. Her eyes were an emerald green and contrasted her fur nicely. She then cracked the throttle another notch or two for a little more steam for the up coming grade. Her train was westbound to Wolf Creek, Colorado. The enginess’ expression showed calm, collected focus, but her mind was swimming with concern.

A few months ago a third railroad was chartered and began building towards Gunpowder Falls, CO. The new line called themselves the Gunpowder & Wolf Creek Railway Company. Construction of this line was attempting to wind its way to Gunpowder Falls by via Wolf Creek pass, but bypassing Wolf Creek. The railroad obtained operating rights to allow their trains to utilize the facilities in Wolf Creek proper. With the completion of this new standard gauge line it would take away revenue from both the Pueblo, San Juan & Pacific (PSJ&P) and the renowned narrow gauge Gunpowder Falls Railroad. A factor the two allied railroads could not afford, especially for the GFRR. With a new standard gauge line worming its way in to Gunpowder Falls it would make the narrow gauge system outdated. Although the company could close its right-of-way from Gunpowder Falls, CO up to Naturita, CO, they would have lost more than half of their business. More than likely the GFRR would go into receivership. As for the PSJ&P they would loose a good amount of revenue at least they provided a main line connection to the east. But if the two railroads could appeal to their right of ways, it would force the G&WC to choose somewhere else to lay its tracks.

The train curved along the winding iron pathway back into the pine forest. The sun was just starting to set and cast beautiful orange, yellow, and purple hues upon the clouds. The canine enginess was hoping she arrive in Wolf Creek within the next hour and be in a warm bed at the bunkhouse. Then the train lumbered through a hard rock tunnel and along part of the mountain side. But as the locomotive and train thundered out of the western portal a large pile of burning timbers standing in the gauge, flames and sparks licking into the air as high as the headlamp of the locomotive.

“Oh, SH….!!“ was all she could say when the sight came to view. The wolf didn’t even hesitate and put the train into emergency. Despite the wheels locking up and making a horrendous screeching noise, the momentum continued to push the train into the obstruction. Instinctively the enginess took the Johnson bar and slammed it into the reverse position and opened the throttle. The wheels then spun around wildly and its stack belched out thick black smoke. This did little and the train slammed into the burning logs, forcing them off the track. Most of them rolling down the mountain side and inevitably into a small steam near the base.
Her fireman, who had been working on stoking the fire, was thrown off of his feet and landed against the backhead. Despite the heat from the boiler metal his heavy clothing kept him from getting burnt. Although he spilled a scoop’s worth of coal all over the foot plate. The fireman shouted during the sudden, abrupt stop and then fell back towards the tender. He cursed as he staggered to get up on his feet again.
“What the hell!!?!” the red bearded man shouted from both the annoyance of being thrown off of his feet and in confusion. Since the track was on a broad left handed curve he peered out from the left side of the engine, while the Enginess climbed down from the right side. She walked ahead to check the track ahead. As she came around the heavy wooden pilot she inspected it. The pilot was shattered say for a few splintered staves and the pilot beam was badly damaged. However the damage was superficial.
“Dammit…” she said to herself under her breath. Greatly annoyed that her well kept engine is now blemished. The white wolf then turned her attention to the track. The ballast was scorched and some of the near by weeds wither burned completely, smoldering, or still burning. Some of the tires were scorched black and smoke was rising off of them, but look intact otherwise not having reached their burning point. Then she looked at the rails and although the heads still retained their sheen, for the most part, she was still concerned that they had become brittle. She hoped that they would hold up under the weight of her locomotive and mixed consist.
Meanwhile the conductor had hopped off the train from one of the passenger cars and jogged his way up to the locomotive.
“Terra!! Why the hell have we stopped!” shouted the conductor, dressed in appropriate attire. As the gray, scraggly furred canine toddled up along the locomotive and then up to Terra, the Enginess. Terra sighed in an irritated tone and pointed to the track just ahead of the locomotive’s pilot.
“Someone wanted to wreck us or stop us! They set fire to some logs and laid them in the gauge. And whoever did it owes me a new pilot!!” Terra fumed. The conductor looked at where she pointed. The ties and ballast was indeed scorched and the damage on the pilot showed the they indeed hit something. Not that the smoldering log on the mountain side of the right-of way was a giveaway to that. The conductor lifted his cap and scratched his head, looking at the scorch marks. Terra already walking over to the side of the track. “They cut the telegraph line too! The bastards!” She said additionally. The conductor looked at the telegraph line along the track. Indeed it had been cut and a section missing.
“B-But we ain’t carrying no payroll or valuables on this train. What could they want?” then said the conductor. The fireman, who by now had hopped down and joined them, came up and spoke. Also trying to brush off some of the coal dust with his encounter with the foot plate.
“I say we move on before we find out!” the bald, red bearded man then said. “If this is a hold up why haven’t they jumped us yet?” he then continued. The conductor nodded in agreement.
“I have to agree with Flynn, this is mighty odd, Terra. Terra…?” Then said the conductor as he turned to the Enginess, but when he did so she wasn’t there! “Terra?” he called out again and then hurried to the other side of the train, facing the slope of the mountain. There was the wolfess stepping carefully around the treeline. “Terra!” again the conductor called. She then turned and raised her hand to indicate to be silent.
“I heard something!” she then said in a whispered tone. The concerned look of the conductor became more obvious and he motioned for her to come back. But she ignored him and pressed a bit further. She pulled out her .44 caliber pistol from her belt line and held it at the ready. Some rustling in the bushes caught her attention and the stepped out of sight. The conductor cursed under his breath and called out to her again.
“Terra! Lets go!!” he shouted sternly, but quietly. He waited but no reply. Then he heard some rustling in the bushes followed by a period of still silence. The only noise being made by the idling steam locomotive. The conductor and fireman stepped closer to the tree line and tried to see through it with concern for the wolf. After a few more moments she then stepped out of the woods, buttoning the top button of her shirt and putting her engineer’s cap back on.
“Dammit, Terra!! You need to stop doing things like that!! The conductor boomed, now quite irritated himself. Terra came walking back up to him and past him.
“Just some bird or something. I thought I’d catch the guys who did this.” She said, though with a slightly duller tone than usual. The conductor glared at her then.
“Well you didn’t now did you! Now we’re at least fifteen minutes late! Get back into that engine and lets go.” fumed the conductor. Terra waved him off, but did as she was told. The engineer giving her an odd look. He followed behind her and they climbed back onto the locomotive.
“What the hell’s gotten into you?” the fireman asked Terra, who seemed to keep her back to him which was uncharacteristic for her.
“Nothing, just wish I could have caught the who busted up my pilot.” Terra replied. She then leaned out the cab window and looked back. The conductor hung off the side of the train and cave the hand signal to proceed. Terra pulled back into the cab and huffed. She looked at the controls for a moment, as though they were somewhat foreign. But she then took the Johnson bar and placed it in the forward position. She released the brakes And pulled back on the throttle. Steam hissed from the cylinder cocks and the wheels spun rapidly, smoke billowing up in thick clouds as the train inched forward. The wheels then gripped the rails for a few seconds, then slipped again. A process which repeated itself a few times over. Terra was cursing at the locomotive, attempting to make proper adjustments.
“C’mon you big iron piece of sh*t!!” she growled. Soon after the wheels began to grip, after closing the throttle a little and applying sand. The train then began to lumber forward. Deep, heavy chuffs blasted up through its diamond stack as the train began to accelerate forward, westbound to Wolf Creek, Colorado.